Gone fishing: Citizen scientists contribute to key recreational fishes population models

Chrysophrys auratus (Erik Schlogl CC BY NC 4.0)

Citation

Graba-Landry, A., Champion, C., Twiname, S., Wolfe, B., Haddy, J., Mossop, D., Pecl, G., & Tracey, S. R. (2023) Citizen science aids the quantification of the distribution and prediction of present and future temporal variation in habitat suitability at species’ range edges. Frontiers of Biogeography https://doi.org/10.21425/F5FBG58207

Page info

Prepared by Olivia Torresan

Species distribution models (or SDM’s) are well-known tools in ecology that are used to predict where a species is able to live. There are many different types of SDM; each combining a variation of ecological factors. The key pieces of information required to conduct most models are known factors like data on the species current occurrence and habitat, and more broadly, their climatic preference.

Species distribution models are particularly useful for difficult to survey or cryptic species in that they are able to help us both understand where a species might occur outside of its “already found” range. To make sure our conservation decisions are well-informed and effective, ensuring these models are as accurate as possible is essential. Modelling an SDM with a small amount of data can produce a model with low certainty.

Landry et al. (2023) model Snapper and Whiting: two marine fish with prized recreational and market value in Australia. Comparing species distribution models utilising citizen science data and those without, they find substantial range increases in their distribution when using citizen science data: 277km and 437km respectively. This suggests that citizen science data, even when quality cleaned, contributes volumes to our understandings of species distributions.

The authors also find that habitat suitability for these fish the next thirty years is also set to substantially increase. While this might be at a glance positive for recreation, shifts in ecological dynamics can have nuanced implications in how they may cascade ecological impacts to other species and complicate an ecological equilibrium. Wintering or the hibernation process of fish that is induced under specific water temperatures is one example of this, wherein warming waters may mean that Snapper and Whiting will no longer hibernate and may consume more resources than usual. Overall, Landry et al.’s (2023) work contributes to a more holistic understanding of our Snapper and Whiting populations and how these may shift in the future – and how we might best prepare for it.